Beauford's Ocean Voyage to Paris
Fifty-seven years ago today, Beauford set sail for France on the SS Liberté.
I googled the ship’s name and was pleasantly surprised to find lots of interesting information about it! I also found photos that depict the accommodations that Beauford (and fellow artist Herb Gentry) experienced aboard ship.
The Liberté was first christened as the SS Europa. It was a German ocean liner that made transatlantic voyages in five days. Captured by the Americans during World War II, the ship was given to France as part of the reparations that the defeated German nation was forced to pay.
The Europa was repainted in French colors and towed to Le Havre for refitting. It was renovated as a luxury passenger-liner, and was destined to replace France’s pride and joy, the SS Normandie, which was a casualty of the war. The refitting suffered two great setbacks. First, a violent storm wrenched the ship from its berth, causing it to collide with a partially submerged vessel in the harbor. This caused the Europa to sink. It was refloated several months later, towed to Saint Nazaire, and refurbished. A dock fire almost destroyed the ship there in 1949.
Once the fire was extinguished, work on the ship resumed at a feverish pace. Under the auspices of France’s Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT), the newly renamed SS Liberté finally set sail on its maiden voyage to New York City in 1950.
The vessel was quite luxurious, and was the pride of France’s passenger fleet for many years.
African Americans reportedly preferred sailing on French liners because they were better treated aboard these ships than on the rival Cunard British liners and on U.S. ships. Sarah Vaughn and W. E. B. and Shirley DuBois are among many African Americans who made the transatlantic voyage to Europe on the Liberté.
Click here to watch a home video made by passengers on the Liberté (exact date of film unknown).
The Liberté was taken out of service in 1961, with its farewell voyage departing New York and docking in Le Havre. In January 1962, it sailed for Italy, where it was scrapped.
Beauford on the deck of the SS Liberté
Photo from David Leeming’s Amazing Grace
I googled the ship’s name and was pleasantly surprised to find lots of interesting information about it! I also found photos that depict the accommodations that Beauford (and fellow artist Herb Gentry) experienced aboard ship.
The Liberté was first christened as the SS Europa. It was a German ocean liner that made transatlantic voyages in five days. Captured by the Americans during World War II, the ship was given to France as part of the reparations that the defeated German nation was forced to pay.
The Europa was repainted in French colors and towed to Le Havre for refitting. It was renovated as a luxury passenger-liner, and was destined to replace France’s pride and joy, the SS Normandie, which was a casualty of the war. The refitting suffered two great setbacks. First, a violent storm wrenched the ship from its berth, causing it to collide with a partially submerged vessel in the harbor. This caused the Europa to sink. It was refloated several months later, towed to Saint Nazaire, and refurbished. A dock fire almost destroyed the ship there in 1949.
Once the fire was extinguished, work on the ship resumed at a feverish pace. Under the auspices of France’s Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (CGT), the newly renamed SS Liberté finally set sail on its maiden voyage to New York City in 1950.
Maiden voyage of SS Liberté to NYC
Photo from www.monstersofthesea.com
The vessel was quite luxurious, and was the pride of France’s passenger fleet for many years.
SS Liberté Embarkation Room
Photo from www.monstersofthesea.com
SS Liberté Grand Salon
Photo from www.monstersofthesea.com
Theater on the SS Liberté
Photo from www.cruiselinehistory.com
African Americans reportedly preferred sailing on French liners because they were better treated aboard these ships than on the rival Cunard British liners and on U.S. ships. Sarah Vaughn and W. E. B. and Shirley DuBois are among many African Americans who made the transatlantic voyage to Europe on the Liberté.
Sarah Vaughn on deck on the SS Liberté
Photo from www.cruiselinehistory.com
W. E. B. and Shirley DuBois on board the SS Liberté
Photo from www.cruiselinehistory.com
Click here to watch a home video made by passengers on the Liberté (exact date of film unknown).
The Liberté was taken out of service in 1961, with its farewell voyage departing New York and docking in Le Havre. In January 1962, it sailed for Italy, where it was scrapped.
Beauford: The Georgia O'Keeffe Portraits
Portrait of Beauford Delaney
Georgia O'Keeffe
(1943) Pastel on paper
Curtis Galleries, Minneapolis, MN
The Georgia O'Keeffe portraits of Beauford are the most beautiful portrayals of him that I have ever seen. The one shown above is part of the private collection of Curtis Galleries in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There is a second portrait at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian, and a third at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Smithsonian work, a portrait in profile, is rendered with colors and textures similar to the portrait shown above. The Smithsonian describes the portrait as "reverent", indicating that it "honors Beauford Delaney's magnanimity, perseverance, and courage in the face of difficulty." The Web site image is accompanied by a brief audio commentary that I found to be compelling.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) owns a charcoal on paper portrait of Beauford by O'Keeffe.
Untitled (Beauford Delaney)
Georgia O'Keeffe
(c 1940) Charcoal on paper
Philadelphia Museum of Art
This portrait also dates from the 1940s.
PMA's curatorial department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs generously provide me with the information in their file on the O'Keeffe charcoal portrait, as follows:
The portrait hung in the PMA exposition called Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz (Feb 7 - May 23, 1999), and in its Beauford Delaney in Context: Selections from the Permanent Collection exposition (Oct 21, 2005 - Jan 3, 2006). Prior to its acquisition by the PMA, the drawing was included in an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art (Oct 8 – Nov 29, 1970) which also travelled to the Art Institute of Chicago (Jan 6-Feb 7, 1971) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art ( Mar 15-Apr 30, 1971).
PMA cited the publication Georgia O'Keeffe, Some Memories of Drawings (1988), edited by Doris Bry, in which O'Keeffe wrote:
I first met Beauford Delaney when he was posing for Mary Callery. I found that he was a painter and posed for others because he had no heat in his studio and needed to keep warm. He seemed a very special sort of person so I began drawing him too.
I don’t remember where I worked on him- maybe at Mary’s – maybe in my own place. But I made several drawings and a couple of pastels of him.
The gallery label for the 1999 Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz exhibit stated the following:
Beauford Delaney was one of only two individuals Georgia O'Keeffe depicted in her career (the other was Alfred Stieglitz's niece, Dorothy Schubart) and that she drew five portraits of him in the early 1940s. A regular at Stieglitz's New York gallery, An American Place, Delaney was particularly impressed by O'Keeffe's work, which he described as "alive and quite amazing." O'Keeffe, in turn, deeply respected Delaney's painting and wrote a tribute to him in the catalogue for his 1973 solo exhibition at Darthea Speyer's gallery in Paris.
For the exposition that Darthea Speyer organized for Beauford in Paris in 1973, Speyer published O'Keeffe's statement along with others from James Jones, James Baldwin, and Henry Miller. O'Keeffe had the following to say:
I knew Beauford Delaney some twenty-six or twenty-eight years ago. He was a very special person—impossible to define. I think of him often as a special experience and always with a feeling that it is fine to know he is living—somewhere—still being his special self—what I do not exactly know, but he is a special kind of thought.
I find that O'Keeffe's exquisite portraits of Beauford are the ultimate expression of this "special kind of thought."
"Soul Brother" or The Haynes Restaurant Portrait
Below is another remembrance of Burt Reinfrank about Beauford. This one concerns a Delaney portrait at Haynes’ Restaurant.
We heard there was a Delaney painting hanging in Haynes Restaurant. I telephoned to confirm this and was told that the painting was a Delaney self-portrait. I knew that Haynes and Beauford had known one another, so I was curious to see it. I made a dinner reservation for 8 pm on March 9, 2001.
That evening, we found the Delaney portrait hanging on the wall of the dining room above the banquettes. It was well lit from above. Upon seeing the painting, I said to the young man and woman who greeted us and showed us to a table that if this was the restaurant’s Delaney portrait, it was not a self-portrait.
The personnel of the restaurant were aware that the painting had a certain value. They said that some months before, a woman from Atlanta had come by to see the painting. As she was organizing a Delaney exhibition, she asked if it might be loaned or sold. Her request was denied.
While not a Beauford self-portrait, the Haynes painting seemed familiar nonetheless. To investigate further, I looked over photographs that I had taken in Beauford’s studio years before. In a photo from January 1968, I saw the portrait from Haynes restaurant on the wall behind Beauford, who was seated on his bed. I remember the portrait had hung for some weeks on the studio wall, during which time Beauford made a few changes. These are visible in the photograph of the finished painting that I took at Haynes’ Restaurant in 2001.
Over the years that I visited Beauford in his studio, I saw many portraits hanging on the wall. They were waiting to be worked on further, to be signed off as sold, or given away. I heard recently that the Haynes’ Delaney had “Soul Brother” written on the back of the canvas. As I never saw the back of the painting at Beauford’s studio or at Haynes Restaurant, I cannot comment on this.
Haynes’ was the longest standing African-American-owned restaurant in Paris. For many years, Leroy Haynes regaled his customers with great Southern cuisine and his larger-than-life persona at 3, rue Clauzel in the 9th arrondissement. After his death in 1986, his widow Maria continued the tradition. Haynes’ Restaurant permanently closed its doors in 2009.
Haynes' Restaurant
© Discover Paris!
********************
We heard there was a Delaney painting hanging in Haynes Restaurant. I telephoned to confirm this and was told that the painting was a Delaney self-portrait. I knew that Haynes and Beauford had known one another, so I was curious to see it. I made a dinner reservation for 8 pm on March 9, 2001.
That evening, we found the Delaney portrait hanging on the wall of the dining room above the banquettes. It was well lit from above. Upon seeing the painting, I said to the young man and woman who greeted us and showed us to a table that if this was the restaurant’s Delaney portrait, it was not a self-portrait.
“Man with Cigarette” portrait at Haynes Restaurant
© 2001 Burton Reinfrank
The personnel of the restaurant were aware that the painting had a certain value. They said that some months before, a woman from Atlanta had come by to see the painting. As she was organizing a Delaney exhibition, she asked if it might be loaned or sold. Her request was denied.
While not a Beauford self-portrait, the Haynes painting seemed familiar nonetheless. To investigate further, I looked over photographs that I had taken in Beauford’s studio years before. In a photo from January 1968, I saw the portrait from Haynes restaurant on the wall behind Beauford, who was seated on his bed. I remember the portrait had hung for some weeks on the studio wall, during which time Beauford made a few changes. These are visible in the photograph of the finished painting that I took at Haynes’ Restaurant in 2001.
Beauford and “Man with Cigarette” portrait
© 1968 Burton Reinfrank
Over the years that I visited Beauford in his studio, I saw many portraits hanging on the wall. They were waiting to be worked on further, to be signed off as sold, or given away. I heard recently that the Haynes’ Delaney had “Soul Brother” written on the back of the canvas. As I never saw the back of the painting at Beauford’s studio or at Haynes Restaurant, I cannot comment on this.
Beauford and the Reinfrank Portrait
Burt Reinfrank was a close personal friend of Beauford. When I started this blog, Burt graciously consented to contribute remembrances of events and encounters with Beauford from time to time. I am pleased to share one of these below.
I had never thought of having a portrait done of myself. But in September 1966, when I saw the portrait Beauford was working on at his easel (a portrait of James Speyer, Curator of Twentieth-Century Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, and brother of Darthea Speyer), I asked Beauford if he would paint one of me of the same size He said he would, but stipulated, “You’ll have to bring me the canvas.” (Beauford was using a “60 F,” or “60 Figure,” canvas for the Speyer painting. “60 F” was an indication of the size and shape of the canvas, which measures 130 x 97 cm, or roughly 51 x 38 inches).
The following Saturday when I came by Beauford’s studio, Speyer’s portrait was still on the easel, but the color of the background and that of Speyer’s sweater had been reversed. When I mentioned this, Beauford said that when Speyer saw what he had done, he asked Beauford to reverse the colors. Beauford obliged him. Speyer soon left France for Chicago with the finished portrait, which he hung in the entry of home there (see Art in America, July-August 1967, page 40.)
A winter morning some months later, I arrived at Beauford’s studio with a 60 Figure white canvas, which Beauford immediately put on his easel. He sat me in a chair, picked up a piece of charcoal, sat down behind the canvas, and started to draw and talk. I realized immediately that I should have had a tape recorder with me. He talked about everything: his ancestral mix, his family, life experiences—some pleasant, some the opposite—but all with his understanding of their deeper meaning.
After one and one-half hours, Beauford stopped and said, “Come and have a look.” The drawing was superb! I thought to myself, “This is so good that I want to keep it as a drawing.” I said this to Beauford, who nodded but seemed to want to start painting immediately. I had my camera with me, so I took several shots of the drawing before I left. When I returned a week later, the drawing had disappeared under paint. The only remembrance I have of it is a photograph that I took just after completion (see photo below).
Although Beauford saw me from time to time while he was working on the portrait, the only time I ever posed for it was during the sitting for the original charcoal drawing. I told Beauford at the start of the project that I was not looking for a likeness, but rather, a “great portrait.”
The finished painting first went on public view in a retrospective of Beauford’s work at the American Cultural Center in an evening dedicated to Beauford on March 21, 1969. It was next shown in the exhibition “Twin Cities Collects” from September 2000 to January 2001 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The portrait appeared again on exhibition as part of the Delaney retrospective, “Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris,” which began at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in November 2004, traveled to the Knoxville Museum of Art and the Greenville County Museum of Art in 2005, and ended at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in January 2006.
********************
I had never thought of having a portrait done of myself. But in September 1966, when I saw the portrait Beauford was working on at his easel (a portrait of James Speyer, Curator of Twentieth-Century Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, and brother of Darthea Speyer), I asked Beauford if he would paint one of me of the same size He said he would, but stipulated, “You’ll have to bring me the canvas.” (Beauford was using a “60 F,” or “60 Figure,” canvas for the Speyer painting. “60 F” was an indication of the size and shape of the canvas, which measures 130 x 97 cm, or roughly 51 x 38 inches).
The following Saturday when I came by Beauford’s studio, Speyer’s portrait was still on the easel, but the color of the background and that of Speyer’s sweater had been reversed. When I mentioned this, Beauford said that when Speyer saw what he had done, he asked Beauford to reverse the colors. Beauford obliged him. Speyer soon left France for Chicago with the finished portrait, which he hung in the entry of home there (see Art in America, July-August 1967, page 40.)
James Speyer
1966, Oil on canvas
Collection of Anstiss and Ronald Kruek, Chicago
From the catalog Beauford Delaney: The Color Yellow (2002)
A winter morning some months later, I arrived at Beauford’s studio with a 60 Figure white canvas, which Beauford immediately put on his easel. He sat me in a chair, picked up a piece of charcoal, sat down behind the canvas, and started to draw and talk. I realized immediately that I should have had a tape recorder with me. He talked about everything: his ancestral mix, his family, life experiences—some pleasant, some the opposite—but all with his understanding of their deeper meaning.
After one and one-half hours, Beauford stopped and said, “Come and have a look.” The drawing was superb! I thought to myself, “This is so good that I want to keep it as a drawing.” I said this to Beauford, who nodded but seemed to want to start painting immediately. I had my camera with me, so I took several shots of the drawing before I left. When I returned a week later, the drawing had disappeared under paint. The only remembrance I have of it is a photograph that I took just after completion (see photo below).
Photo of Beauford Delaney drawing of Burton Reinfrank
© Burton Reinfrank
Although Beauford saw me from time to time while he was working on the portrait, the only time I ever posed for it was during the sitting for the original charcoal drawing. I told Beauford at the start of the project that I was not looking for a likeness, but rather, a “great portrait.”
Burton Reinfrank
1968, Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burton Reinfrank
The finished painting first went on public view in a retrospective of Beauford’s work at the American Cultural Center in an evening dedicated to Beauford on March 21, 1969. It was next shown in the exhibition “Twin Cities Collects” from September 2000 to January 2001 at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The portrait appeared again on exhibition as part of the Delaney retrospective, “Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris,” which began at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in November 2004, traveled to the Knoxville Museum of Art and the Greenville County Museum of Art in 2005, and ended at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in January 2006.
Photo of the Reinfrank Portrait at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Exhibit
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Exhibit
© 2005 Robert Meier
Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 2
Last week, I brought you Sue Canterbury’s story of how she came to know Beauford’s work and decided to create the 2004-2005 one-show Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris. This week’s posting brings you many of the behind-the-scenes details of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) show.
Les Amis: How much space was devoted to the show?
Sue Canterbury: It was originally intended for a smaller gallery but, as luck would have it, the large special exhibition galleries became available due to alterations in the museum’s exhibition schedule (about a year before the show) and Delaney became the main event at the MIA in the fall of 2004.
Les Amis: How was it decided which paintings would be included in the show?
Sue Canterbury: I'm the person who made the selection. While the "From New York to Paris" transition was the heart of the show, I felt it was necessary to “bookend” the works I had rediscovered between what had preceded and followed them so people would be able to witness the stylistic developments and transitions in Beauford’s art. With the early Paris works restored to his history, it no longer seemed as if one was dealing with two artists but with an artist whose late abstracted figurative works of New York were not that far removed from the early, fully abstract works that would follow once he was in Paris.
Les Amis: What is the process for requesting loans of paintings (and perhaps documents or other items) for a show?
Sue Canterbury: Loans generally need to be place at least a year out from a show. Sometimes the odd thing can be slipped in later, but as the catalogue has to be written and edited far in advance, loans need to be in place as soon as possible. Dealers (Michael Rosenfeld, Patrick Albano, etc.), as well as Sylvain Briet, were helpful in passing on loan requests to private collectors.
Les Amis: How were the persons who wrote essays for the catalog selected?
Sue Canterbury: Ann Gibson had already written about Beauford on a couple occasions. I liked her work and was interested in her covering the New York figurative years. I was interested in having Michael Plante cover the late Paris years. I wanted to cover Delaney's transitional works of 1953-1960 as that period was key to the inquiry I wanted to make. I wanted to involve Sylvain Briet on the project because he and Philippe had uncovered and amassed an incredible amount of information. After Philippe’s untimely death, Sylvain had continued to compile what I consider the most thorough chronology of Beauford's life, work, exhibition history, etc.
Les Amis: Who decided what would be on the cover of the catalog?
Sue Canterbury: I'm guilty! That's a detail of a very special painting. It is the painting that was given to the Institute by Jacques and Solange du Closel. Until proven otherwise, it is the first known fully abstract expressionist work from Paris. It is also one of three paintings he did on 'canvas' made from the raincoat that Billy and Irene Rose gave him before he sailed from New York. Unfortunately, I don't know where the other two are or even if they still exist.
Les Amis: How is mounting a retrospective different than mounting a group exhibit?
Sue Canterbury: Well, it allows you to concentrate on one artist and one story. I should mention however, that Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris was not a retrospective. I didn't cover the Knoxville or Boston years. Again, my interest was in the lost works of early Paris. I just added New York at the front, and post-1960 works at the end to give people a clear picture of his stylistic development.
Les Amis: What, if anything, was different about mounting the Delaney one-man show compared to other expositions that you have worked on?
Sue Canterbury: Because Delaney died only in 1979, there were still many people present who had known him. It gave immediacy to the project that is generally lacking when working on art or artists or much earlier periods or centuries. Thus, I was hearing all about Delaney directly from individuals who had known him well and cared deeply for him. The project took me on quite the ride. In New York, I visited with the artist Paul Jenkins, who called up Al Hirschfeld and asked if he had time to meet me. There I was the next day discussing Beauford and the exhibition. Or, there’s the time I arrived in Paris on a courier trip and, in hopes of finding Sylvain Briet had attempted to contact him prior to leaving Minneapolis. I had left my contact info of where I would be in Paris not knowing if he would get the message. The day I arrived I received a call from Sylvain in my Paris hotel room, with him asking me if I could catch a train to Normandy the next day to come and meet him. And, off I went.
Les Amis: Who decided which partner museums the show would travel to?
Sue Canterbury: Complex. I called several museums that I felt might be interested and sent out exhibition proposals. Knoxville, as his hometown, seemed a no-brainer. Greenville County Museum in South Carolina, on the other hand, hadn't been in my plans but they wanted the show AND they had the fantastic Washington Square work that I wanted to borrow. Philadelphia had a history with Beauford. He had been there and had painted portraits of individuals there. Of course, Richard Gibson was also from Philly. Additionally, Philadelphia is always keen to get good exhibitions and materials on African-American artists.
Les Amis: How was it decided how long the show would be exhibited at each museum?
Sue Canterbury: The duration of exhibitions is pretty standard. Most museums will run their shows on a 10- or 12-week schedule. Due to the recent economic downturn, however, some museums have been prolonging the length of their shows when possible.
Les Amis: Was there much need for collaboration among these museums regarding presentation of the works, etc., or were they simply packed up and shipped from one place to the next?
Sue Canterbury: There can be collaboration. It depends on the situation. Generally, label text copy (what you read on the label next to the painting), and didactic panel copy (a large panel of text that gives the visitor an overview of the works in that gallery) are provided as part of the rental contract in a traveling show and are sent to the next venue for each institution to produce according to their own practices or protocols. The venues generally try to follow the intellectual concept (respect for which is also part of the rental contract), but a hang also is heavily influenced by the space and architectural demands of each museum’s exhibition galleries.
The one thing that was consistent at all four venues was the special pedestal that housed the raincoat painting. It allowed people to look at the back of the work so they could see the double-stitched seam and the top-stitched pocket, etc.
Les Amis: How was the show financed?
Sue Canterbury: While museums set budgets, they're always desperate for alternate funding sources. In my case, The MIA applied for grants from the Henry Luce Foundation and the Judith Rothschild Foundation. (The Rothschild Foundation stipulates that any artist project they fund depends on the artist having died after 1978. Beauford just made it...1979.)
Les Amis: Are expositions expected to make money for the institutions exhibiting them?
Sue Canterbury: That is a dream to which most museums aspire but rarely see fulfilled. Generally, exhibitions don't make a profit or even break even. An institution generally hopes simply to defray expenses with tickets at the door, etc. In this exhibition's case, the Luce and Rothschild grants took a big bite out the projected budget expenses. Also, the rental fees paid by each of the travel venues were very helpful.
Les Amis: Was Beauford’s show profitable?
Sue Canterbury: Ultimately not, in the financial sense. Minneapolis will never have the amazing number of visitors that one sees at the Orsay, the Met, or the National Gallery. Its numbers are thought good if they are in the range of 60,000. Anything above that is pretty outstanding. Delaney pulled in about 22,000 visitors. However, when I realized that 22,000 people paid to see a show about an artist they had never heard of before, I actually felt rather good about the final count. (I still have people comment to me about the Delaney exhibition having been their favorite—and they aren’t even aware thatI was the curator of the exhibition. That makes me feel good. Also, the exhibition was awarded best exhibition of the year by a local magazine.)
On another level, the exhibition built an important bridge to the local African-American community. On yet another, very meaningful level, we also received the raincoat painting as a gift from the Du Closel's in appreciation of our doing the show on Beauford. People love that painting and the story. Another measure of success, I should add, is that the catalogue sold out completely. It's out of print. I recall that Philadelphia had to ask for additional catalogues beyond the number allotted in their contract.
ArtsMIA Web page for Beauford’s show
Les Amis: How much space was devoted to the show?
Sue Canterbury: It was originally intended for a smaller gallery but, as luck would have it, the large special exhibition galleries became available due to alterations in the museum’s exhibition schedule (about a year before the show) and Delaney became the main event at the MIA in the fall of 2004.
Les Amis: How was it decided which paintings would be included in the show?
Sue Canterbury: I'm the person who made the selection. While the "From New York to Paris" transition was the heart of the show, I felt it was necessary to “bookend” the works I had rediscovered between what had preceded and followed them so people would be able to witness the stylistic developments and transitions in Beauford’s art. With the early Paris works restored to his history, it no longer seemed as if one was dealing with two artists but with an artist whose late abstracted figurative works of New York were not that far removed from the early, fully abstract works that would follow once he was in Paris.
Les Amis: What is the process for requesting loans of paintings (and perhaps documents or other items) for a show?
Sue Canterbury: Loans generally need to be place at least a year out from a show. Sometimes the odd thing can be slipped in later, but as the catalogue has to be written and edited far in advance, loans need to be in place as soon as possible. Dealers (Michael Rosenfeld, Patrick Albano, etc.), as well as Sylvain Briet, were helpful in passing on loan requests to private collectors.
Les Amis: How were the persons who wrote essays for the catalog selected?
Sue Canterbury: Ann Gibson had already written about Beauford on a couple occasions. I liked her work and was interested in her covering the New York figurative years. I was interested in having Michael Plante cover the late Paris years. I wanted to cover Delaney's transitional works of 1953-1960 as that period was key to the inquiry I wanted to make. I wanted to involve Sylvain Briet on the project because he and Philippe had uncovered and amassed an incredible amount of information. After Philippe’s untimely death, Sylvain had continued to compile what I consider the most thorough chronology of Beauford's life, work, exhibition history, etc.
Les Amis: Who decided what would be on the cover of the catalog?
Sue Canterbury: I'm guilty! That's a detail of a very special painting. It is the painting that was given to the Institute by Jacques and Solange du Closel. Until proven otherwise, it is the first known fully abstract expressionist work from Paris. It is also one of three paintings he did on 'canvas' made from the raincoat that Billy and Irene Rose gave him before he sailed from New York. Unfortunately, I don't know where the other two are or even if they still exist.
ArtsMIA Catalog Cover
Les Amis: How is mounting a retrospective different than mounting a group exhibit?
Sue Canterbury: Well, it allows you to concentrate on one artist and one story. I should mention however, that Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris was not a retrospective. I didn't cover the Knoxville or Boston years. Again, my interest was in the lost works of early Paris. I just added New York at the front, and post-1960 works at the end to give people a clear picture of his stylistic development.
Les Amis: What, if anything, was different about mounting the Delaney one-man show compared to other expositions that you have worked on?
Sue Canterbury: Because Delaney died only in 1979, there were still many people present who had known him. It gave immediacy to the project that is generally lacking when working on art or artists or much earlier periods or centuries. Thus, I was hearing all about Delaney directly from individuals who had known him well and cared deeply for him. The project took me on quite the ride. In New York, I visited with the artist Paul Jenkins, who called up Al Hirschfeld and asked if he had time to meet me. There I was the next day discussing Beauford and the exhibition. Or, there’s the time I arrived in Paris on a courier trip and, in hopes of finding Sylvain Briet had attempted to contact him prior to leaving Minneapolis. I had left my contact info of where I would be in Paris not knowing if he would get the message. The day I arrived I received a call from Sylvain in my Paris hotel room, with him asking me if I could catch a train to Normandy the next day to come and meet him. And, off I went.
Les Amis: Who decided which partner museums the show would travel to?
Sue Canterbury: Complex. I called several museums that I felt might be interested and sent out exhibition proposals. Knoxville, as his hometown, seemed a no-brainer. Greenville County Museum in South Carolina, on the other hand, hadn't been in my plans but they wanted the show AND they had the fantastic Washington Square work that I wanted to borrow. Philadelphia had a history with Beauford. He had been there and had painted portraits of individuals there. Of course, Richard Gibson was also from Philly. Additionally, Philadelphia is always keen to get good exhibitions and materials on African-American artists.
Les Amis: How was it decided how long the show would be exhibited at each museum?
Sue Canterbury: The duration of exhibitions is pretty standard. Most museums will run their shows on a 10- or 12-week schedule. Due to the recent economic downturn, however, some museums have been prolonging the length of their shows when possible.
Les Amis: Was there much need for collaboration among these museums regarding presentation of the works, etc., or were they simply packed up and shipped from one place to the next?
Sue Canterbury: There can be collaboration. It depends on the situation. Generally, label text copy (what you read on the label next to the painting), and didactic panel copy (a large panel of text that gives the visitor an overview of the works in that gallery) are provided as part of the rental contract in a traveling show and are sent to the next venue for each institution to produce according to their own practices or protocols. The venues generally try to follow the intellectual concept (respect for which is also part of the rental contract), but a hang also is heavily influenced by the space and architectural demands of each museum’s exhibition galleries.
The one thing that was consistent at all four venues was the special pedestal that housed the raincoat painting. It allowed people to look at the back of the work so they could see the double-stitched seam and the top-stitched pocket, etc.
Pedestal for raincoat painting
Display at Knoxville Museum of Art
Photo courtesy of Sue Canterbury
Untitled (raincoat painting) by Beauford Delaney
(1954) Oil on raincoat fragment
Photo courtesy of Sue Canterbury
Untitled (raincoat painting - rear) by Beauford Delaney
(1954) Oil on raincoat fragment
Photo courtesy of Sue Canterbury
Les Amis: How was the show financed?
Sue Canterbury: While museums set budgets, they're always desperate for alternate funding sources. In my case, The MIA applied for grants from the Henry Luce Foundation and the Judith Rothschild Foundation. (The Rothschild Foundation stipulates that any artist project they fund depends on the artist having died after 1978. Beauford just made it...1979.)
Les Amis: Are expositions expected to make money for the institutions exhibiting them?
Sue Canterbury: That is a dream to which most museums aspire but rarely see fulfilled. Generally, exhibitions don't make a profit or even break even. An institution generally hopes simply to defray expenses with tickets at the door, etc. In this exhibition's case, the Luce and Rothschild grants took a big bite out the projected budget expenses. Also, the rental fees paid by each of the travel venues were very helpful.
Les Amis: Was Beauford’s show profitable?
Sue Canterbury: Ultimately not, in the financial sense. Minneapolis will never have the amazing number of visitors that one sees at the Orsay, the Met, or the National Gallery. Its numbers are thought good if they are in the range of 60,000. Anything above that is pretty outstanding. Delaney pulled in about 22,000 visitors. However, when I realized that 22,000 people paid to see a show about an artist they had never heard of before, I actually felt rather good about the final count. (I still have people comment to me about the Delaney exhibition having been their favorite—and they aren’t even aware thatI was the curator of the exhibition. That makes me feel good. Also, the exhibition was awarded best exhibition of the year by a local magazine.)
On another level, the exhibition built an important bridge to the local African-American community. On yet another, very meaningful level, we also received the raincoat painting as a gift from the Du Closel's in appreciation of our doing the show on Beauford. People love that painting and the story. Another measure of success, I should add, is that the catalogue sold out completely. It's out of print. I recall that Philadelphia had to ask for additional catalogues beyond the number allotted in their contract.
Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 1
Sue Canterbury was the curator of the magnificent exhibit entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris that originated at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (November 21, 2004 – February 20, 2005) and was subsequently presented by the Knoxville Museum of Art (April 8 – June 25, 2005), the Greenville County Museum of Art (August 3 – October 2, 2005), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (November 12, 2005 – January 28, 2006).
As a novice to the art world, I was curious to learn how this latest one-man exposition of Beauford’s work was conceived of and put together. Sue graciously explained this to me, beginning with how she discovered Beauford’s work:
Sue chose to do the Delaney exposition because of her rapidly growing passion for Beauford’s work. It was her responsibility to 1) craft the concept; 2) locate the objects in order to develop an object checklist for the exhibition; 3) find new information through research of old catalogues, books, magazines, etc) and, in the case of Beauford by talking to people who actually had known him, etc.; and 4) arrange for the conservation of several objects. An example is the Richard Gibson portrait, the conservation of which was performed by a London conservator. Many works were in need of cleaning or required framing. Two works were in extremely rough shape and needed major intervention. Sue feels very gratified that these works were saved for posterity.
The budget for the exhibition was very slim and, consequently, a great deal of Sue’s research had to be piggy-backed onto courier trips to New York, London, and Paris. (An institution that borrows paintings from another institution for an exhibition pays for a courier to accompany the work to its facility.). Sue would often tack on a few extra days to extend the time available for research, interviews, and visits with collectors.
Next week: The behind-the-scenes details of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) show.
ArtsMIA Web page for Beauford’s show
As a novice to the art world, I was curious to learn how this latest one-man exposition of Beauford’s work was conceived of and put together. Sue graciously explained this to me, beginning with how she discovered Beauford’s work:
I arrived at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in the summer of 1998. Sometime during my first year, I met Burt and Patricia Reinfrank. If I recall correctly how things unfolded, they had contacted my boss and I (my boss having arrived about 9 months before I ) with an interest in lending Jazz Quartet (1945) by Delaney for display in our permanent galleries. (It's worth noting that before meeting them, I had never heard of Beauford Delaney.)
Jazz Quartet
Beauford Delaney
(1946) Oil on canvas
Courtesy of Burt and Patricia Reinfrank
As I learned more through them, Burt floated the idea of an exhibition. I was intrigued by the idea for the following reasons: 1) Delaney was an artist with an interesting body of work but of whom I had never heard; 2) I was particularly engaged by what I saw as his (then) two bodies work--the New York figurative and the ca. 1960 and after abstract expressionist works. I felt as though I was viewing the work of two different artists. Where was the stylistic bridge between the New York and Paris works? The link was absent in all the literature I had seen thus far.
That last bit (#2) was what particularly intrigued me. I always have to find a hook to any project I choose to undertake. The quest to uncover new connections is what drives my passion about something. I'm not interested in covering material already treated by other exhibitions.Sue went on to say that while curators can sometimes be assigned projects, they much prefer to choose their own. It is the curator's job to make a compelling case for a proposed project to colleagues and the museum director. Once a presentation of the proposal is made, and if the project is approved, then the framework of budgets and schedules can be put in place so all phases will come together in a timely manner.
Sue chose to do the Delaney exposition because of her rapidly growing passion for Beauford’s work. It was her responsibility to 1) craft the concept; 2) locate the objects in order to develop an object checklist for the exhibition; 3) find new information through research of old catalogues, books, magazines, etc) and, in the case of Beauford by talking to people who actually had known him, etc.; and 4) arrange for the conservation of several objects. An example is the Richard Gibson portrait, the conservation of which was performed by a London conservator. Many works were in need of cleaning or required framing. Two works were in extremely rough shape and needed major intervention. Sue feels very gratified that these works were saved for posterity.
The budget for the exhibition was very slim and, consequently, a great deal of Sue’s research had to be piggy-backed onto courier trips to New York, London, and Paris. (An institution that borrows paintings from another institution for an exhibition pays for a courier to accompany the work to its facility.). Sue would often tack on a few extra days to extend the time available for research, interviews, and visits with collectors.
Next week: The behind-the-scenes details of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) show.
Roy Freeman Remembers Beauford
Roy Freeman is an artist, writer, and caregiver for autistic adults. The son of artists Don and Lydia Cooley Freeman, he left home at the age of sixteen to "seek his fortune" in the world—he dabbled in painting, music, and dance in San Francisco, lived with the Mazatec Indians in Mexico, and had many additional life experiences prior to settling down in Switzerland to study nature at the age of nineteen. He became a geophysicist, and worked in academia for many years before leaving this field to pursue his current activities.
Both of Roy's parents knew Beauford well, and Roy remembers how frequently they spoke of him. In quickly perusing some of Don Freeman's correspondence, Roy found several mentions of Beauford. He told me that Don and Lydia visited Beauford in Paris in 1970-1971, but that he has found no written anecdotes about the trip.
Roy had his own encounter with Beauford in Paris at the age of 19, which he describes as follows:
Roy graciously shared with me his knowledge of his father's relationship with Beauford in a recent interview. Below are a number of excerpts from this wonderful exchange.
Les Amis: Your father, Don Freeman, knew Beauford Delaney. Was this because they were both artists and met in conjunction with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) project? Or did they meet under other circumstances?
Roy Freeman: I am not sure how Don and Beauford met. The lived very close to one another in New York and knew each other as artists with the WPA project in the late 1920s and 30s. Don and Lydia befriended people who were real individuals - particularly those perhaps less well understood by others.
Les Amis: Did your mother, Lydia Cooley Freeman, know Beauford as well?
Roy Freeman: Lydia knew Beauford as well as Don, they were all together in New York art scene in the 1930s and 40s.
Les Amis: Did they socialize with Beauford, or only meet in the context of work?
Roy Freeman: They definitely socialized with Beauford, knew him personally, and visited him often—especially when they lived near each other (see Don's NEWSSTAND articles!)
Les Amis: Why did your parents consider Beauford to be so special?
Roy Freeman: Most of all because of Beauford's gentleness and vulnerability. He lived genuinely and was true to who he was. This was certainly excruciating for him at times; he had a very difficult life as you know.
Les Amis: Why do you consider him to be so?
Roy Freeman: For me it was Beauford's authenticity. He remained true to himself, and maintained his kindness of heart, despite all he had been through. His gentleness and his openness were immense and real. Unfortunately, this is a rarity in the world...almost a miracle.
Les Amis: Do you know Beauford’s art?
Roy Freeman: I do not know his earlier work too well. I knew the abstract work he was painting when we saw him in Paris.
Les Amis: Is there a particular style of his that you prefer (figurative versus abstract works, portraits)?
Roy Freeman: I do not know his whole opus well enough. I also have no preference—his figurative work is as amazing as his abstract work. I myself am quite at home in the abstract work. At the time I saw him in Paris, it was really strong. When he offered us a painting of his, I took a purely abstract, yellow-green-orange painting which had no figuration at all. It was radically full of springtime and life!
Les Amis: Did your family own any of Beauford’s work? If so, please describe the pieces.
Roy Freeman: In the artwork from my parents that I have, I do not know of anything from Beauford.
Les Amis: Any final thoughts?
Roy Freeman: It was a gift to have known Beauford, even if it was just in these short contacts. Along with the artist spirits of my father and mother, the meeting with Beauford has given me a tolerance and openness to accepting life and people as how they are. I try to give back what these people, with all their problems, have given me: a spirit to live who you are in this world that does not always accept you. And somehow, miraculously, perhaps with the help of an even greater spirit, remaining true to having an open heart to yourself and others. Thank you, Beauford!
Both of Roy's parents knew Beauford well, and Roy remembers how frequently they spoke of him. In quickly perusing some of Don Freeman's correspondence, Roy found several mentions of Beauford. He told me that Don and Lydia visited Beauford in Paris in 1970-1971, but that he has found no written anecdotes about the trip.
Roy had his own encounter with Beauford in Paris at the age of 19, which he describes as follows:
Of course the real meeting with Beauford was when I was in Paris in 1969 with my wife at the time. We called him up at the suggestion of Don and Lydia, and Beauford immediately invited us over. He was living in a small apartment, which functioned also as his artist studio. At the time I had very long hair and we were really surfing hippies. I was nervous at how Beauford would take us in. To my deep relief, Beauford accepted us just as we were. He was an incredibly gentle, open human being. I realized at once that I was in the world of a real artist. I could hardly believe the welcome and being with this wonderful man. He showed us around his apartment and showed the paintings he was doing at the time—very abstract. Before we left, I gave him a copy of a small book I had published privately—Mountains Converse—and he offered us one of his paintings. I could hardly believe his openness and generosity, but it was indeed genuine and real. I will never forget this meeting!
Solliès Toucas
(Beauford's gift to Roy Freeman)
Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Roy Freeman
Roy graciously shared with me his knowledge of his father's relationship with Beauford in a recent interview. Below are a number of excerpts from this wonderful exchange.
Les Amis: Your father, Don Freeman, knew Beauford Delaney. Was this because they were both artists and met in conjunction with the WPA (Works Progress Administration) project? Or did they meet under other circumstances?
Roy Freeman: I am not sure how Don and Beauford met. The lived very close to one another in New York and knew each other as artists with the WPA project in the late 1920s and 30s. Don and Lydia befriended people who were real individuals - particularly those perhaps less well understood by others.
Opening image of Beauford in Don Freeman's Newsstand #1
Image courtesy of Roy Freeman
Les Amis: Did your mother, Lydia Cooley Freeman, know Beauford as well?
Roy Freeman: Lydia knew Beauford as well as Don, they were all together in New York art scene in the 1930s and 40s.
Les Amis: Did they socialize with Beauford, or only meet in the context of work?
Roy Freeman: They definitely socialized with Beauford, knew him personally, and visited him often—especially when they lived near each other (see Don's NEWSSTAND articles!)
Les Amis: Why did your parents consider Beauford to be so special?
Roy Freeman: Most of all because of Beauford's gentleness and vulnerability. He lived genuinely and was true to who he was. This was certainly excruciating for him at times; he had a very difficult life as you know.
First page of Don’s article on Beauford in Newsstand #5
Image courtesy of Roy Freeman
Les Amis: Why do you consider him to be so?
Roy Freeman: For me it was Beauford's authenticity. He remained true to himself, and maintained his kindness of heart, despite all he had been through. His gentleness and his openness were immense and real. Unfortunately, this is a rarity in the world...almost a miracle.
Les Amis: Do you know Beauford’s art?
Roy Freeman: I do not know his earlier work too well. I knew the abstract work he was painting when we saw him in Paris.
Les Amis: Is there a particular style of his that you prefer (figurative versus abstract works, portraits)?
Roy Freeman: I do not know his whole opus well enough. I also have no preference—his figurative work is as amazing as his abstract work. I myself am quite at home in the abstract work. At the time I saw him in Paris, it was really strong. When he offered us a painting of his, I took a purely abstract, yellow-green-orange painting which had no figuration at all. It was radically full of springtime and life!
Second page of Don’s article on Beauford in Newsstand #5
Image courtesy of Roy Freeman
Les Amis: Did your family own any of Beauford’s work? If so, please describe the pieces.
Roy Freeman: In the artwork from my parents that I have, I do not know of anything from Beauford.
Les Amis: Any final thoughts?
Roy Freeman: It was a gift to have known Beauford, even if it was just in these short contacts. Along with the artist spirits of my father and mother, the meeting with Beauford has given me a tolerance and openness to accepting life and people as how they are. I try to give back what these people, with all their problems, have given me: a spirit to live who you are in this world that does not always accept you. And somehow, miraculously, perhaps with the help of an even greater spirit, remaining true to having an open heart to yourself and others. Thank you, Beauford!
Beauford's Works at Christie's Paris -- The Auction
Christie's Paris
© Discover Paris!
The auction of the Darthea Speyer collection at Christie's Paris took place on Wednesday, 7 July 2010. Six Delaney paintings were among the 432 works sold.
I was fortunate enough to be able to see Beauford's works at Christie's before the auction. The photo below shows the portraits as they were displayed in the Salon Matignon IV.
Beauford's Portraits at Christie's Paris
© Discover Paris!
The two abstractions were harder to photograph due to their placement in the hallway outside Salon Matignon IV, where there was terrible glare as well as unavoidable reflections.
Untitled
(not dated) Pastel on paper
© Discover Paris!
Untitled (dedicated to Darthea Speyer)
(1961) Ink, inkwash, and aquarelle on paper
© Discover Paris!The ink, inkwash, and aquarelle painting is dated 1961, not 1981 as reported in the catalog. In last week's posting, I noted that either a mistake had been made in the catalog's notation (Beauford died in 1979), or he was unaware of the year when he created the painting (he had suffered a severe mental crisis several weeks prior to painting it). The former is true - the label text posted next to the painting at Christie's had been corrected by hand.
Signature for Untitled (dedicated to Darthea Speyer)
(1961) Ink, inkwash, and aquarelle on paper
© Discover Paris!
Label for Untitled (dedicated to Darthea Speyer)
(1961) Ink, inkwash, and aquarelle on paper
© Discover Paris!
In last week's posting and in the one called Beauford at Galerie Darthea Speyer, I reported that the Beauford Delaney paintings held by Galerie Darthea Speyer would be donated to the Smithsonian. I now have clarification on this issue - Mme Emmanuelle Gelzer-Remy, a former employee of the gallery, has informed me that only the gallery's documents related to Beauford have been donated to the Smithsonian Institution Archives. The paintings were held by Christie's, until today's sale.
Salle James Christie (auction room) at Christie's Paris
© Discover Paris!
As for the auction itself, Beauford's works went very quickly. It was apparent that people were prepared to bid on them ahead of time, because most of the bids came in by phone or Internet. Beauford's untitled pastel commanded the greatest price – 10,000 euros / ~$12,500. His portrait of Jean Genet sold for 8,500 euros / ~$10,625. The ink, ink wash, and aquarelle went for 7,000 euros / ~$8,750, and the other portraits sold for 6500 euros to 7500 euros (~$8125 to $9375). The sale of all six pieces took only ten minutes!
Beauford's Works at Christie's Paris
In July, Christie's Paris is auctioning an incredible selection of art works and personal items owned by Darthea Speyer. The Darthea Speyer Gallery closed its doors permanently at the beginning of this year, and the Christie's auction is part of the total liquidation of the gallery's collection.
Among the collection are six paintings by Beauford. See pages 38-39 of Christie's e-catalog for a listing of these works. Two of them are abstractions and the remaining four are portraits. The price range for the abstractions is $2700 to $5300, while the range for the portraits is $11,000 to $20,000. The portrait of Vassili Pikoula (see below)—displayed at the American Cultural Center in 1961, the Darthea Speyer Gallery in 1973 and 1992, the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978, and the First American Triennal at Maubeuge in 1993—is the most expensive of the portraits available for purchase.
The astute observer will notice that there is an anomaly in the catalog listing for Entry 262, a vividly colored ink, ink wash, and aquarelle abstraction. The dedication indicated for this painting—"Beauford Delaney Mallorca 1981 for miss Darthea Speyer"—is dated two years after Beauford's death! In fact, Beauford visited Majorca in the summer of 1961, the year that he suffered a severe mental breakdown while on his way to Greece. He was to have enjoyed an artistic "sabbatical" there, which had been arranged by Darthea Speyer. After several days of hospitalization, Speyer arranged for Beauford to return to France. His dear friends Charley and Gita Boggs then took him to Spain to help him recover from that breakdown. Either the person who provided the information for the Entry 262 misread Beauford's dedication, or Beauford himself was not aware of what year it was when he created this painting.
When I spoke with a representative of the Speyer Gallery in January of this year, I was told that the gallery would donate its collection of Delaneys to the Smithsonian Institute. At the time of this writing, I do not know if some of these Delaneys were in fact donated so that the paintings on auction at Christie's represent the remainder of the Speyer collection, or if none of the Delaneys were donated to the Smithsonian.
The Christie's auction will be held on July 7, 2010 at 2 PM. The entire Speyer collection will be on public display on the following dates:
Saturday, July 3 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Monday, July 5 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday, July 6 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday, July 7 – 10 AM to 12 Noon
For those living in Paris, or visiting during the first week of July, this represents a rare opportunity to see Beauford's works in person—an occasion not to be missed!
Christie's
9, avenue Matignon
75008 Paris
Tel: 33(0)1 40 76 85 85
Beauford and Darthea
Invitation card for 1973 exhibit at Galerie Darthea Speyer
Courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
Among the collection are six paintings by Beauford. See pages 38-39 of Christie's e-catalog for a listing of these works. Two of them are abstractions and the remaining four are portraits. The price range for the abstractions is $2700 to $5300, while the range for the portraits is $11,000 to $20,000. The portrait of Vassili Pikoula (see below)—displayed at the American Cultural Center in 1961, the Darthea Speyer Gallery in 1973 and 1992, the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1978, and the First American Triennal at Maubeuge in 1993—is the most expensive of the portraits available for purchase.
Courtesy of Galerie Darthea Speyer
The astute observer will notice that there is an anomaly in the catalog listing for Entry 262, a vividly colored ink, ink wash, and aquarelle abstraction. The dedication indicated for this painting—"Beauford Delaney Mallorca 1981 for miss Darthea Speyer"—is dated two years after Beauford's death! In fact, Beauford visited Majorca in the summer of 1961, the year that he suffered a severe mental breakdown while on his way to Greece. He was to have enjoyed an artistic "sabbatical" there, which had been arranged by Darthea Speyer. After several days of hospitalization, Speyer arranged for Beauford to return to France. His dear friends Charley and Gita Boggs then took him to Spain to help him recover from that breakdown. Either the person who provided the information for the Entry 262 misread Beauford's dedication, or Beauford himself was not aware of what year it was when he created this painting.
When I spoke with a representative of the Speyer Gallery in January of this year, I was told that the gallery would donate its collection of Delaneys to the Smithsonian Institute. At the time of this writing, I do not know if some of these Delaneys were in fact donated so that the paintings on auction at Christie's represent the remainder of the Speyer collection, or if none of the Delaneys were donated to the Smithsonian.
The Christie's auction will be held on July 7, 2010 at 2 PM. The entire Speyer collection will be on public display on the following dates:
Saturday, July 3 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Monday, July 5 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday, July 6 – 10 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday, July 7 – 10 AM to 12 Noon
For those living in Paris, or visiting during the first week of July, this represents a rare opportunity to see Beauford's works in person—an occasion not to be missed!
Christie's
9, avenue Matignon
75008 Paris
Tel: 33(0)1 40 76 85 85
Beauford at the Art Institute of Chicago
Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting “Beauford Delaney: From Paris to Beyond” at the G. R. N’Namdi Gallery. The talk was extremely well received, and I was proud to announce to the audience that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney has reached its fundraising goal.
I was also pleased to announce that, earlier in the day, I had had the opportunity to visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see the Beauford Delaney works that this museum owns. The trip was most educational and enjoyable! The museum holds three paintings, two of which are not on public display.
I have already presented the 1944 self-portrait that hangs in Gallery 262 at the Art Institute of Chicago in previous blog postings (You've Got the Eye; Cid Corman's Poetic Tribute to Beauford). But a friend recently visited the gallery and took some extraordinary photos of the painting, and I would like to share them with you here. Note the very heavy streaks of paint that Beauford used to create this image of himself.
As vivid and compelling as these photos are, the painting itself is even more striking!
A second work (see image below) is in storage. I made an appointment with the American Art department to see it. Associate Curator Sarah Kelly took me into the basement of the museum and located the room in which the painting is stored. We looked at it for several minutes together. There is no signature or date on the front of the painting, but the date “1965” was indicated in pencil on the rear of the painting. Other information about the date and acquisition was presented on two labels affixed to the rear of the work. The work itself is a conglomerate of curves, swipes, and splotches of paint in varying shades of green, yellow, and melon. I thought that I saw two cowboys amidst the colorful swirls!
Sarah accompanied me to the Prints and Drawings Department, where I saw the third Delaney that is owned by the museum. Though it is a painting, the museum has classified it as a drawing because it is painted with a transparent medium (watercolor) and is on paper. The Prints and Drawings department is equipped to store and display such works, which require special preservation. Works held by this department are displayed for three months, and then placed back into storage to preserve them.
Curator Mark Pascale talked with me at length about this painting, which is untitled. He said that the colors of the painting were greatly faded, and showed me how to recognize the fading of the “cream wove”paper that Beauford used for this work as well. Mark described watercolor as a “fugitive medium,” and said that it has “inherent vice.” I found this description (which indicates the fragile nature of watercolor) amusing, and Mark said that the first time he heard it, it amused him as well.
As well as watercolor, Beauford also used gouache for this painting. Gouache is a mixture of opaque white paint with watercolor. This mixture can be made transparent by adding water.
Beauford painted this work for his friends Miriam and Palmer Hayden. His inscription—Pour Mariam & Palmer with love Beauford—and the date—“ ’61”—are barely visible. The painting was acquired from the Haydens by artist and art historian Semella Lewis, who in turn presented it to an art dealer, who sold it to the museum.
I highly recommend a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago to see Beauford’s works. You may phone the Prints and Drawings Department for an appointment to see the watercolor and gouache painting. The American Art Department may also grant a request to see the oil painting that is in storage, but only if you visit alone.
I was also pleased to announce that, earlier in the day, I had had the opportunity to visit the Art Institute of Chicago to see the Beauford Delaney works that this museum owns. The trip was most educational and enjoyable! The museum holds three paintings, two of which are not on public display.
I have already presented the 1944 self-portrait that hangs in Gallery 262 at the Art Institute of Chicago in previous blog postings (You've Got the Eye; Cid Corman's Poetic Tribute to Beauford). But a friend recently visited the gallery and took some extraordinary photos of the painting, and I would like to share them with you here. Note the very heavy streaks of paint that Beauford used to create this image of himself.
Photos of Beauford's 1944 Self-portrait
Photos courtesy of Tim Paulson
As vivid and compelling as these photos are, the painting itself is even more striking!
A second work (see image below) is in storage. I made an appointment with the American Art department to see it. Associate Curator Sarah Kelly took me into the basement of the museum and located the room in which the painting is stored. We looked at it for several minutes together. There is no signature or date on the front of the painting, but the date “1965” was indicated in pencil on the rear of the painting. Other information about the date and acquisition was presented on two labels affixed to the rear of the work. The work itself is a conglomerate of curves, swipes, and splotches of paint in varying shades of green, yellow, and melon. I thought that I saw two cowboys amidst the colorful swirls!
Untitled by Beauford Delaney
(1965) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sarah accompanied me to the Prints and Drawings Department, where I saw the third Delaney that is owned by the museum. Though it is a painting, the museum has classified it as a drawing because it is painted with a transparent medium (watercolor) and is on paper. The Prints and Drawings department is equipped to store and display such works, which require special preservation. Works held by this department are displayed for three months, and then placed back into storage to preserve them.
Photo of “Untitled” (1961) by Beauford Delaney
© Discover Paris!
Curator Mark Pascale talked with me at length about this painting, which is untitled. He said that the colors of the painting were greatly faded, and showed me how to recognize the fading of the “cream wove”paper that Beauford used for this work as well. Mark described watercolor as a “fugitive medium,” and said that it has “inherent vice.” I found this description (which indicates the fragile nature of watercolor) amusing, and Mark said that the first time he heard it, it amused him as well.
As well as watercolor, Beauford also used gouache for this painting. Gouache is a mixture of opaque white paint with watercolor. This mixture can be made transparent by adding water.
Beauford painted this work for his friends Miriam and Palmer Hayden. His inscription—Pour Mariam & Palmer with love Beauford—and the date—“ ’61”—are barely visible. The painting was acquired from the Haydens by artist and art historian Semella Lewis, who in turn presented it to an art dealer, who sold it to the museum.
I highly recommend a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago to see Beauford’s works. You may phone the Prints and Drawings Department for an appointment to see the watercolor and gouache painting. The American Art Department may also grant a request to see the oil painting that is in storage, but only if you visit alone.
Fundraising Success!
I am very pleased to announce that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney has successfully achieved its fundraising goal! Many thanks all of our donors, whose names you will find listed in the right margin. Special thanks go to the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery for having submitted the contribution that allowed us to reach $8500!
Things are moving along swiftly now. Beauford's tombstone has been ordered, and the target date for the preparation of the gravesite and the installation of the stone is July 15, 2010. We are beginning to make plans for the commemorative ceremony that will be held at the gravesite at Thiais Cemetery in August or September 2010, the 57th anniversary of Beauford's setting sail for Paris. We plan to hold a reception in Paris afterward. The exact date has yet to be determined. Details will follow as the organization of this historic event progresses.
Photo to be used for Beauford's tombstone
c. 1960, possibly taken by Gjon Mili
Courtesy of Richard Gibson
Also, if you still wish to contribute, please feel free to do so by clicking on the "Donate" button in the right margin beneath the color photo of Beauford's final resting place, or by contacting Les Amis at amisdebeauford(at)yahoo(dot)com to receive an address to which you may send a check. Funds will be used to defray the cost of the commemorative ceremony.
Beauford at the George R. N’Namdi Gallery in Chicago
I am pleased to announce that I will present “Beauford Delaney: From Paris to Beyond” at the George R. N’Namdi Gallery, 110 North Peoria in Chicago on June 17, 2010 at 5:30 PM. I encourage everyone in the Chicago area to attend – it would be my pleasure to meet you and to share with you my perspective on Beauford’s life and art!
In honor of the occasion, the G. R. N’Namdi Gallery granted me an interview, which you can find below.
Les Amis: Please describe the gallery and its mission.
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: George N'Namdi, who holds a doctorate in psychology, correlated positive mental health with art appreciation and living with art through his research and practice as a clinical psychologist. This was a significant factor in the foundation of the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery in 1981, whose mission is to encourage collectors to develop an appreciation for the historical value of the arts, while increasing awareness of abstract art and inspiring a new generation of art collectors. The father-son-operated gallery exhibits at its locations in Chicago, Detroit and New York, and through partnerships and collaborations with universities, museums and organizations internationally.
Les Amis: How do you select the artists that you represent?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: We select the artists that we feel are making a contribution to the arts. In other words, artists who have a unique voice that adds to the "literature" of arts.
Les Amis: What inspired you select Beauford Delaney as one of the artists whose work you represent?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: Because of his contributions, pushing of the envelope, he's an originator. His works have elements of originality.
Les Amis: Where/how did you acquire your Delaneys? Private acquisitions? Auction?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: We've acquired Delaneys in different ways, mostly by purchases from his estate and private collectors.
Les Amis: Is his work popular among your clients?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: He is known, particularly among serious collectors. He work is still growing in awareness.
Les Amis: You recently held an event whose purpose was to educate people on how to purchase art. How would you advise someone who wanted to become a collector of Delaneys?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: First, research him. Then, find one that you like, that is always the first step. Also, you find one that fits into your vision as a collector.
Les Amis: Please talk about the film that you are creating on African-American artists around the world. How will Beauford figure into this film?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: Yes, Beauford is featured in the documentary film, Art Legacy Abroad: In Search of the Light, http://www.artlegacyabroad.com/. While in Paris, we filmed one of his former homes, and he was mentioned by several of the artists in their interviews during the film.
In honor of the occasion, the G. R. N’Namdi Gallery granted me an interview, which you can find below.
Interior of George R. N'Namdi Gallery, Chicago
Courtesy of George R. N'Namdi Gallery
Les Amis: Please describe the gallery and its mission.
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: George N'Namdi, who holds a doctorate in psychology, correlated positive mental health with art appreciation and living with art through his research and practice as a clinical psychologist. This was a significant factor in the foundation of the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery in 1981, whose mission is to encourage collectors to develop an appreciation for the historical value of the arts, while increasing awareness of abstract art and inspiring a new generation of art collectors. The father-son-operated gallery exhibits at its locations in Chicago, Detroit and New York, and through partnerships and collaborations with universities, museums and organizations internationally.
Les Amis: How do you select the artists that you represent?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: We select the artists that we feel are making a contribution to the arts. In other words, artists who have a unique voice that adds to the "literature" of arts.
Les Amis: What inspired you select Beauford Delaney as one of the artists whose work you represent?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: Because of his contributions, pushing of the envelope, he's an originator. His works have elements of originality.
Untitled
Beauford Delaney
(1965) Oil on canvas
Courtesy of George N'Namdi Gallery
Les Amis: Where/how did you acquire your Delaneys? Private acquisitions? Auction?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: We've acquired Delaneys in different ways, mostly by purchases from his estate and private collectors.
Les Amis: Is his work popular among your clients?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: He is known, particularly among serious collectors. He work is still growing in awareness.
Les Amis: You recently held an event whose purpose was to educate people on how to purchase art. How would you advise someone who wanted to become a collector of Delaneys?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: First, research him. Then, find one that you like, that is always the first step. Also, you find one that fits into your vision as a collector.
Les Amis: Please talk about the film that you are creating on African-American artists around the world. How will Beauford figure into this film?
G. R. N’Namdi Gallery: Yes, Beauford is featured in the documentary film, Art Legacy Abroad: In Search of the Light, http://www.artlegacyabroad.com/. While in Paris, we filmed one of his former homes, and he was mentioned by several of the artists in their interviews during the film.
**********
Note: There are still five days left to bid on the Gentry serigraph. Click here to place your bid now!
ArtNet Auction of Herb Gentry Serigraph is Live!
A couple of weeks ago, I reported in a blog posting that Mary Anne Rose donated a Herb Gentry serigraph to benefit the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project. I am thrilled to inform you that ArtNet has placed the work up for auction as of 4:30 PM Eastern Time on June 8. Bidding is now open!
Mary Anne Rose provides the following description of the print:
Once again, many thanks to Mary Anne Rose and the Estate of Herbert Gentry for this fine donation!
Always Green
Herbert Gentry
Serigraph (2000)
Mary Anne Rose provides the following description of the print:
Always Green was done at the period the artist was working on his final three editions published by GR N’Namdi Gallery in conjunction with his book Herbert Gentry: The Man The Magic The Master. Always Green is among the artist’s final works. This serigraph was printed in 2000 at Lime Grafik in Malmo, Sweden.
Always Green is about regeneration. In the work of Herbert Gentry, the Green man refers to different aspects of fertility, as well as spiritual growth and transformation. Gentry saw his art as direct contact with the unconscious, and as an artist, he neither consciously determined a work's subjective import nor final appearance. Thus, his works trace states of being and change. The Green Man theme relates to larger paintings like Spiritually Green (1978) and He Seeth All (1962) and On All Sides (1990). Gentry realized his figurative imagery through process and each work evolved out of spontaneous and direct gesture.Always Green will be available for bidding until Thursday, June 17th at 4:30 PM Eastern Time. The opening bid is $1500. Please click here to visit the ArtNet site and place your bid.
Once again, many thanks to Mary Anne Rose and the Estate of Herbert Gentry for this fine donation!
Richard Hadlock Remembers Beauford
Richard Hadlock is the host of San Mateo's KCSM FM radio show Annals of Jazz. He has been broadcasting jazz for more than 50 years, and is the author of Jazz Masters of the Twenties (Da Capo, 1988 [first published in 1965]). In addition, he is a professional jazz saxophonist who has appeared on dozens of albums. Hadlock studied with Sidney Bechet, Garvin Bushell, Lee Konitz, and, in Rio de Janeiro, the popular bandleader/saxophonist Zaccarias. He remembers Beauford in the text below:
Beauford Delaney was our landlord. In 1951, Tony Hagert and I moved into a vacant second-floor loft above a Greenwich Village trucking firm. Beauford, who lived on the third floor of the old Greene Street warehouse, had been paying, I believe, 30 dollars a month for both floors. Each loft offered a toilet and a cold-water tap, nothing more. Ours had not been occupied for more than a decade and it required days of cutting through the soot, grime and crud. Tony and I paid 30 dollars to Beauford and he could now live rent-free.
Most of what Beauford owned was given to him. He was especially fond of his record player and his collection of 78 rpm records by artists such as Bessie Smith, Sidney Bechet and Duke Ellington. Often his yells of ecstasy over jazz came drifting down to us on the second floor. Visiting upstairs was not unlike entering a temple. Beauford usually sat, Buddha-like, on his large bed under an elaborate canopy of white sheets, surrounded by colorful paintings. He seemed, to me, to love everyone and every thing.
When our building was scheduled for demolition by its new owner, New York University, we had to move. Tony had just been called up for military duty. Beauford and I walked the streets of the lower Village and as far East as Second Avenue, hoping for another cheap loft to fit both our ways of life. At that time --1952?-- Beauford told me he didn't want to follow, sheep-like, the many artists who had moved to Paris. He loved New York and often found inspiration in humble scenes such as Greene Street homeless men trying to warm themselves with fires set in trash cans.
Somehow we ended up going on separate paths. I rented a rickety flat on Second Avenue. Beauford, who, child-like, could not survive without the generous support of friends and admirers, finally gave in to the call of Paris.
Beauford Delaney was our landlord. In 1951, Tony Hagert and I moved into a vacant second-floor loft above a Greenwich Village trucking firm. Beauford, who lived on the third floor of the old Greene Street warehouse, had been paying, I believe, 30 dollars a month for both floors. Each loft offered a toilet and a cold-water tap, nothing more. Ours had not been occupied for more than a decade and it required days of cutting through the soot, grime and crud. Tony and I paid 30 dollars to Beauford and he could now live rent-free.
Greene Street (as it appears in Amazing Grace)
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney
Oil on Canvas (1946)
© Discover Paris!
Most of what Beauford owned was given to him. He was especially fond of his record player and his collection of 78 rpm records by artists such as Bessie Smith, Sidney Bechet and Duke Ellington. Often his yells of ecstasy over jazz came drifting down to us on the second floor. Visiting upstairs was not unlike entering a temple. Beauford usually sat, Buddha-like, on his large bed under an elaborate canopy of white sheets, surrounded by colorful paintings. He seemed, to me, to love everyone and every thing.
When our building was scheduled for demolition by its new owner, New York University, we had to move. Tony had just been called up for military duty. Beauford and I walked the streets of the lower Village and as far East as Second Avenue, hoping for another cheap loft to fit both our ways of life. At that time --1952?-- Beauford told me he didn't want to follow, sheep-like, the many artists who had moved to Paris. He loved New York and often found inspiration in humble scenes such as Greene Street homeless men trying to warm themselves with fires set in trash cans.
Somehow we ended up going on separate paths. I rented a rickety flat on Second Avenue. Beauford, who, child-like, could not survive without the generous support of friends and admirers, finally gave in to the call of Paris.
A Colorful and Generous Donation!
When I wrote to http://www.herbertgentry.com/ several days ago to obtain permission to use the photograph of Herb Gentry in last week's posting, little did I know that I would receive a generous outpouring of support from his widow, Mary Anne Rose!
Rose sent a return e-mail message within 24 hours, not only to tell me that I could use the photograph, but also to indicate that she wished to donate a Gentry serigraph (silkscreen) to be sold in support of the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project. "I know Gentry would have given a piece of his art to stimulate other giving," she wrote.
In a second message, she relayed the following:
The work is called Always Green (2000). It is from an edition of 150. The paper size is 15.25" x 11.5".
We are planning to place this beautiful serigraph up for auction as soon as we set up an account with a fine arts auction house. Until that time, the work will be available for purchase at the price of $1,500.00. If you are a collector, or know of one, who would like to acquire this work, please contact me at amisdebeauford(at)yahoo.com as soon as possible.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney thanks Mary Anne Rose for her generous contribution!
Rose sent a return e-mail message within 24 hours, not only to tell me that I could use the photograph, but also to indicate that she wished to donate a Gentry serigraph (silkscreen) to be sold in support of the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project. "I know Gentry would have given a piece of his art to stimulate other giving," she wrote.
In a second message, she relayed the following:
I met Beauford Delaney twice, at the end of his life. It was when Gentry and I lived at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris (1978-1980), at the beginning of our lives together. Beauford was ill and residing at St. Anne's. The first time I met him, we found him in the garden wearing bright blue pajamas and a yellow straw hat, like the Van Gogh self-portrait. The attendants said they knew he was very special. The second and last time I saw him he was in bed, little and frail. He would not live much longer. Both times when Herb introduced me, Beauford took my hand and held it very gently.
The work is called Always Green (2000). It is from an edition of 150. The paper size is 15.25" x 11.5".
Always Green
Herbert Gentry
Serigraph (2000)
We are planning to place this beautiful serigraph up for auction as soon as we set up an account with a fine arts auction house. Until that time, the work will be available for purchase at the price of $1,500.00. If you are a collector, or know of one, who would like to acquire this work, please contact me at amisdebeauford(at)yahoo.com as soon as possible.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney thanks Mary Anne Rose for her generous contribution!
Herbert Gentry on Beauford
Herb Gentry (1919-2003) was one of several African-American artists who moved to Paris after World War II. He was a friend of Beauford and speaks extensively of Beauford in the interview below.
The entire text of this posting is taken from the following source, which is in the public domain:
Oral history interview with Herbert Gentry, 1991 May 23, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. It has not been modified. The interview was conducted by Lisa Kirwin.
MR. GENTRY: ...And then when I finally decided to go it was 1953. Beauford, I didn’t know him well. And then when I got on the boat I looked around to see who’s on the boat and -- did I tell you this? [Liza confirms] He was on the same boat and I spent all the time with him and it was a beautiful experience. This man was so philosophical. And then I guess he talked about things that we both never, you look at the sky – look at the blue and the clouds and we would talk about this and we would talk about feelings and thoughts and it was a beautiful time I spent those five or six days with him. And he had never been outside the States, but I had been to Paris.
And then we arrived at Le Havre and some people came to pick him up. I don’t know what happened, I went directly to -- I’ve forgot where I went but I was in Paris, I knew Paris. But I did ask him, I said, “Anything I can do for you?” He said, “No, I have friends who’re going to pick me up.” And then they picked him up and I went elsewhere.
And then eventually I saw him in Montparnasse. He became an artist in Montparnasse and everybody knew him in Montparnasse because he was a person that, he was a great artist. But the greatest philosopher I’ve ever met. He was older than most of the students, so he had all these wise sayings, and anybody had any psychological problem they would go and see him. Like for example, one time something was happening, I didn’t know, I went to see him. He said, “What’s the matter?” “Well,” I said, “the money’s low, I’m very unhappy and I don’t want to write home for money and I’ve money coming in.” And he would open a little purse he’d carried, he opened it and he said, “Look, I have enough for a little coffee and a croissant for -- oh yes, now tell me: what’s the matter?”
And then later I met a painter named Larry Potter, an African-American painter, Larry Potter, a great friend of mine, who “passed” in Paris, who would eventually exhibit in New York, I’d have to write the forward to his exhibition. Both the Delaneys liked him very much and he was a very sensitive person. I remember we would walk to visit Beauford in his studio and in his studio everything was spick and span. And he’d have these big American white sheets all over everything. [Speaking in high falsetto] “-- with Beauford.” Everything was covered, this was part of his little illness become, I think. I mean hit a certain niveau [level] and after that you know you go right to the top in thinking and philosophy, philosophical statements. And then I think the mind can’t go any further. He was so great, in everything -- in painting, knowledge, warmth.
Larry was very sensitive too. We would knock on his studio door and Larry would say, “Pardon me, open”. He said, “All right, if you’re not busy, can we come see you now?” That was very important to respect his privacy. He said, “Oh yes, you and Herbert Gentry, always.” Invariably we’d sit down and he’d fix us a little tea and he’d do his hands like this. [Liza laughs] We had a wonderful time. When he was in Montparnasse, the center, one of the cafes, Select Cafe, or the Dom, all the waiters, all the French people, Monsieur Beauford and he didn’t speak hardly any French but they all respected him. He was so kind. And it was the duty of all the artists in Montparnasse if they saw Beauford out there pretty late at night, they would take him home. He was a concern. He was very important to the American art life in Paris. And he was a great friend of James Baldwin [author], too, I guess you know that.
MS. KIRWIN: Yes, I was going to ask then you watched him progressively go – his mind?
MR. GENTRY: This is what happened. See, I was invited to exhibit in Denmark in 1959 when the Danish painters were invited to exhibit at the Riverside Museum. It was an honor, and they were the most famous Danish painters. But this museum does not exist any more, the Riverside Museum in New York; and I was invited to go to Denmark. So I went to Denmark and I had this exhibition and I stayed in Denmark for awhile, I worked there.
But I kept the studio in Paris, and I would go back from time to time; out of the year I was back to Paris every three or four months. What were we talking about?
MS. KIRWIN: I was asking about his health.
MR. GENTRY: Oh yes. So as soon as I’d go to Paris he would be one of the few that I’d know I had to see right away -- Larry Potter, my friend who had died, and Beauford Delaney and a number of friends but those two were the first two or three or four that I would go and see. So I would go and see him. Then I noticed that he started to get really away from me, he wasn’t very clear in what he was saying, he was going way up in the sky about what was happening, but it was [laughing] beautifully poetic. And I loved him. He would make statements like, “The sun is a sunny red.” He was right. [Laughter.] And you go with him and then you say, hey, you know, but maybe he’s a little off, but he was so great.
So he was very happy when I would come and give him a hug and we would talk and I’d find out if he had any money. I always would have a little money and I’d take him to dinner. And one time Romare Bearden came and spent about two weeks in Paris and he and Annette, his wife, widow. First he would ask for Beauford and then we took him down to an American restaurant, [belonging to] a fellow named Haynes [Leroy “Roughhouse” Haynes]. You never heard of him?
An American restaurant in Montmartre and we went there. Soon as he finished – “Beauford was hungry, he ate so well,” but all of a sudden right after he finished wanted to go right back to Montparnasse, that was his home area, see he knew that. Then I knew that he was getting old, because he got nervous, but while he was eating he was hungry -- maybe hadn’t eaten that day. Not because he didn’t have money but this sickness was starting.
And then I heard someone say that he gave some of his paintings away. I went and found that person, I got those paintings back. But then he started giving some paintings away. Some people might have taken advantage of him, took his paintings.
The entire text of this posting is taken from the following source, which is in the public domain:
Oral history interview with Herbert Gentry, 1991 May 23, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. It has not been modified. The interview was conducted by Lisa Kirwin.
Herbert Gentry
© 1992 Walter Backen
Lomma, Sweden
Courtesy of Mary Anne Rose
Courtesy of Mary Anne Rose
MR. GENTRY: ...And then when I finally decided to go it was 1953. Beauford, I didn’t know him well. And then when I got on the boat I looked around to see who’s on the boat and -- did I tell you this? [Liza confirms] He was on the same boat and I spent all the time with him and it was a beautiful experience. This man was so philosophical. And then I guess he talked about things that we both never, you look at the sky – look at the blue and the clouds and we would talk about this and we would talk about feelings and thoughts and it was a beautiful time I spent those five or six days with him. And he had never been outside the States, but I had been to Paris.
Photo of a photo of Beauford on the deck of the ship Liberté
© Discover Paris!
And then we arrived at Le Havre and some people came to pick him up. I don’t know what happened, I went directly to -- I’ve forgot where I went but I was in Paris, I knew Paris. But I did ask him, I said, “Anything I can do for you?” He said, “No, I have friends who’re going to pick me up.” And then they picked him up and I went elsewhere.
And then eventually I saw him in Montparnasse. He became an artist in Montparnasse and everybody knew him in Montparnasse because he was a person that, he was a great artist. But the greatest philosopher I’ve ever met. He was older than most of the students, so he had all these wise sayings, and anybody had any psychological problem they would go and see him. Like for example, one time something was happening, I didn’t know, I went to see him. He said, “What’s the matter?” “Well,” I said, “the money’s low, I’m very unhappy and I don’t want to write home for money and I’ve money coming in.” And he would open a little purse he’d carried, he opened it and he said, “Look, I have enough for a little coffee and a croissant for -- oh yes, now tell me: what’s the matter?”
Sketch of Herb Gentry by Beauford Delaney
"Trying to make a wonder genius. With Glory!"
Courtesy of Mary Anne Rose and the Gentry Estate
And you know, I never really tell people all my problems. All of a sudden I caught myself: wow, great psychiatrist here, psychologist. And I’m talking to him and opening up and feeling better, I mean really. I realized -- well, I knew that later -- how important it is to have someone to talk to, have a dialogue, or have someone you can talk to and they would listen, maybe advise. And he would say these things. I felt good, you know! And that’s what he did to many people -- the French and everything, yes. He was a great artist, I would visit him from time to time.And then later I met a painter named Larry Potter, an African-American painter, Larry Potter, a great friend of mine, who “passed” in Paris, who would eventually exhibit in New York, I’d have to write the forward to his exhibition. Both the Delaneys liked him very much and he was a very sensitive person. I remember we would walk to visit Beauford in his studio and in his studio everything was spick and span. And he’d have these big American white sheets all over everything. [Speaking in high falsetto] “-- with Beauford.” Everything was covered, this was part of his little illness become, I think. I mean hit a certain niveau [level] and after that you know you go right to the top in thinking and philosophy, philosophical statements. And then I think the mind can’t go any further. He was so great, in everything -- in painting, knowledge, warmth.
Larry Potter in Explorations of the City of Light Catalog
© Discover Paris!
MS. KIRWIN: Yes, I was going to ask then you watched him progressively go – his mind?
MR. GENTRY: This is what happened. See, I was invited to exhibit in Denmark in 1959 when the Danish painters were invited to exhibit at the Riverside Museum. It was an honor, and they were the most famous Danish painters. But this museum does not exist any more, the Riverside Museum in New York; and I was invited to go to Denmark. So I went to Denmark and I had this exhibition and I stayed in Denmark for awhile, I worked there.
But I kept the studio in Paris, and I would go back from time to time; out of the year I was back to Paris every three or four months. What were we talking about?
MS. KIRWIN: I was asking about his health.
MR. GENTRY: Oh yes. So as soon as I’d go to Paris he would be one of the few that I’d know I had to see right away -- Larry Potter, my friend who had died, and Beauford Delaney and a number of friends but those two were the first two or three or four that I would go and see. So I would go and see him. Then I noticed that he started to get really away from me, he wasn’t very clear in what he was saying, he was going way up in the sky about what was happening, but it was [laughing] beautifully poetic. And I loved him. He would make statements like, “The sun is a sunny red.” He was right. [Laughter.] And you go with him and then you say, hey, you know, but maybe he’s a little off, but he was so great.
So he was very happy when I would come and give him a hug and we would talk and I’d find out if he had any money. I always would have a little money and I’d take him to dinner. And one time Romare Bearden came and spent about two weeks in Paris and he and Annette, his wife, widow. First he would ask for Beauford and then we took him down to an American restaurant, [belonging to] a fellow named Haynes [Leroy “Roughhouse” Haynes]. You never heard of him?
Portrait of Leroy Haynes
Photo © 2005 Discover Paris!
An American restaurant in Montmartre and we went there. Soon as he finished – “Beauford was hungry, he ate so well,” but all of a sudden right after he finished wanted to go right back to Montparnasse, that was his home area, see he knew that. Then I knew that he was getting old, because he got nervous, but while he was eating he was hungry -- maybe hadn’t eaten that day. Not because he didn’t have money but this sickness was starting.
Haynes Restaurant
(Closed in 2009)
© 2005 Discover Paris!
And then I heard someone say that he gave some of his paintings away. I went and found that person, I got those paintings back. But then he started giving some paintings away. Some people might have taken advantage of him, took his paintings.
End of excerpt
Beauford's Paris Café Life
From the first days that Beauford arrived in Paris, he enjoyed café life. This posting presents contemporary photos of some of his favorite cafés in Montparnasse and near the Saint Germain district on the Left Bank.
Le Select
La Coupole
Le Select
Le Select
99, boulevard du Montparnasse
75006 Paris
© Discover Paris!
Personal communications from Burt Reinfrank and long time African-American expatriate Tannie Stovall indicate that Beauford was often seen at the Select. He was frequently surrounded by "friends," some of whom were inclined to take advantage of his generous nature and allowed him to pay for food and drink for everyone though he could ill afford it. In Amazing Grace, biographer David Leeming recounts that in Beauford's later years, he would sometimes order large meals here or at Le Dôme (see below) and have no funds to pay the bill. The café owners knew Beauford so well that they would ignore the unpaid bill. At times, a friend of Beauford would cover the charges.
, biographer David Leeming recounts that in Beauford's later years, he would sometimes order large meals here or at Le Dôme (see below) and have no funds to pay the bill. The café owners knew Beauford so well that they would ignore the unpaid bill. At times, a friend of Beauford would cover the charges.The Select was also a favorite of a contemporary African-American artist and friend of Beauford, Ed Clark.
Le Dôme
Le Dôme
108, boulevard du Montparnasse
75014 Paris
© Discover Paris!
David Leeming recounts that on Beauford's first night in Paris, he felt restless and decided to leave his hotel at around 11PM to buy a sandwich. He entered Le Dôme, the first place that he encountered, and was pleasantly surprised to find a painter friend from New York inside. Earl Kirkham was in the company of many other Americans, and Beauford joined them for an evening of merriment. Beauford would return to his hotel at three or four the following morning.
Ed Clark recounted an amusing anecdote about Beauford and the Dôme to me several years ago. He and Beauford once sold paintings to a white American here. After having completed the transaction, he and Beauford sat down to share a few drinks with the buyer. Because the man had been purchasing art all day, he did not have the money to pay his bar tab at the end of the day. Thus he asked Beauford if he would kindly take his paintings back in exchange for the money, which Beauford did.
Beauford's friend Richard Gibson indicates that Beauford was often at Le Dôme.
Beauford's friend Richard Gibson indicates that Beauford was often at Le Dôme.
La Coupole
La Coupole
102, boulevard du Montparnasse
75014 Paris
© Discover Paris!
Gibson also indicates that Beauford and his friends sometimes frequented La Coupole. Though this was the most expensive of the Carrefour Vavin cafés at the time (Le Dôme is by far the most expensive at present), Beauford and friends such as Ed Clark were occasionally able to afford to eat on the left side of the restaurant, which was cheaper than the right side where tables were set with cloth napkins. Michel Fabre and John A. Williams' A Street Guide to African Americans in Paris mentions a happy evening that Beauford spent here in the company of fellow painter Herb Gentry and writer Lindsay Barrett.
Au Petit Suisse and Le Tournon
Au Petit Suisse
16, rue de Vaugirard
75006 Paris
© Discover Paris!
Richard Gibson also recounts that Beauford did not like the Café Tournon, the famous hangout for African-American expats in the post-World War II era. He says that Beauford found it "too macho and not very friendly" the few times that he managed to get Beauford to go there, and that Beauford preferred Au Petit Suisse, which is located across the street from the Odéon Theater and the Luxembourg Garden. The two cafés are still in existence, and are less than a five minute walk apart.
Café Tournon
18, rue de Tournon
75006 Paris
18, rue de Tournon
75006 Paris
© Discover Paris!
In Amazing Grace, David Leeming states that Beauford would sometimes go to the Tournon in the company of James Baldwin and his entourage, and would even go there alone on occasion to engage in philosophical discussions. Richard Wright was a domineering force during these discussions (and not particularly welcoming to gay men), and Leeming indicates that Beauford and Wright were never close.
The Tournon lists Beauford, Ellington, Baldwin, Wright, and other African Americans on the history page of its Web site (in French). There is a vintage photograph of Beauford and Duke Ellington seated at a table in the café that the servers may be willing to show you if you inquire at the bar!
The Tournon lists Beauford, Ellington, Baldwin, Wright, and other African Americans on the history page of its Web site (in French). There is a vintage photograph of Beauford and Duke Ellington seated at a table in the café that the servers may be willing to show you if you inquire at the bar!
Thanks to our Donors and New Appeal for Contributions!
Beauford Delaney (1901-1979)
Self-Portrait, 1950
pastel, charcoal and watercolor on paper
15" x 12 1/2", signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney; Private Collection
Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York , NY
Patrick Albano, Aaron Galleries
James Armstrong
Estate of James Baldwin
Shelley Bradford-Bell
Sue Canterbury
Frank Carner, in honor of Irene and Billy Rose
Richard Gibson
Barney Kirchhoff
David Leeming
Richard A. Long
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY
The Reinfrank Family
Catherine St. John
Richard L. Sewell
Mary Sewell Smith
Clarence and Collie Wells
Monique Y. Wells (U.S. Federal Assistance Award)
I would also like to thank one donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
You may have noticed that the donor list is now posted in the sidebar directly beneath our "Donate" button. I will continue to add names to the sidebar, and will acknowledge future contributors in postings, as I have done here.
As I mentioned in a previous message, we are targeting August 2010 for completion of the installation of the tombstone. We now have enough money to begin the preparatory work for the gravesite, and have asked the funeral parlor to order the required materials. But we still need to collect $3100 to reach our goal! We need this money urgently so that we may order the tombstone as soon as possible to have it in place for the commemorative ceremony that we plan to hold in August. Therefore, I ask that you continue to spread the word about our project and encourage your friends and colleagues to donate. If you personally have not yet made a contribution, please consider doing so. Every dollar and euro count!
Sincerely,
Monique
President, Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
"You've Got the Eye"
In a recent posting of an anecdote about Beauford, Burt Reinfrank indicated that Beauford would frequently say to Burt, "You've got the eye."
While this may have been true in the context that Beauford was speaking—Burt could easily distinguish original Delaneys from copies or fraudulent pieces)—in fact, it is Beauford who “had the eye.” Whether or not he knew it consciously, we may never know. But one can certainly see it in his paintings, and particularly in his self-portraits.
In Beauford’s formative years as an artist, capturing likeness was his primary goal in portraiture. But during his New York years, he began to take painterly liberties with his portraits of Harlem residents, and in his Paris years, his portraits of others reflected his increasing concern with color and the “inner light” of his subjects in opposition to likeness. Author David Leeming cites an example of this attitude in Amazing Grace, the only biography of Beauford in print thus far. In an exchange between Beauford and Elwood Peterson regarding Peterson’s portrait, Beauford states:
Sue Canterbury, curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts exposition entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris
, states in her essay on Beauford’s life and work that “One eye sees without; the other within.” She elaborated on this comment for today’s blog posting, saying that she wished to draw attention to the difference between two types of vision that one might attribute to Beauford—one being the reading of external phenomena, and the other, reading/seeing on a deeper plane of meaning that one might call that spiritual or cosmic. Burt Reinfrank, a great friend of Beauford and a contributor to this blog, believes that Beauford was connected to humanity in a way that transcends our worldly consciousness, and stated that Beauford often spoke of “the cosmos.”
In looking at a series of Beauford’s self-portraits, the astute observer will note that there is often asymmetry in Beauford’s eyes. This irregularity differs from portrait to portrait, and is not a reflection of any physical disfigurement in Beauford’s face. Perhaps this is Beauford's way, consciously or subconsciously, of depicting the two types of vision described above.
While this may have been true in the context that Beauford was speaking—Burt could easily distinguish original Delaneys from copies or fraudulent pieces)—in fact, it is Beauford who “had the eye.” Whether or not he knew it consciously, we may never know. But one can certainly see it in his paintings, and particularly in his self-portraits.
In Beauford’s formative years as an artist, capturing likeness was his primary goal in portraiture. But during his New York years, he began to take painterly liberties with his portraits of Harlem residents, and in his Paris years, his portraits of others reflected his increasing concern with color and the “inner light” of his subjects in opposition to likeness. Author David Leeming cites an example of this attitude in Amazing Grace
, the only biography of Beauford in print thus far. In an exchange between Beauford and Elwood Peterson regarding Peterson’s portrait, Beauford states:If you wanted an exact likeness you could have gone to a photographer…when you sing you become eighteen again, and that’s what I wanted to capture.Peterson offered to buy the painting, but Beauford refused payment, giving the painting to his subject instead.
Sue Canterbury, curator of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts exposition entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris
, states in her essay on Beauford’s life and work that “One eye sees without; the other within.” She elaborated on this comment for today’s blog posting, saying that she wished to draw attention to the difference between two types of vision that one might attribute to Beauford—one being the reading of external phenomena, and the other, reading/seeing on a deeper plane of meaning that one might call that spiritual or cosmic. Burt Reinfrank, a great friend of Beauford and a contributor to this blog, believes that Beauford was connected to humanity in a way that transcends our worldly consciousness, and stated that Beauford often spoke of “the cosmos.”In looking at a series of Beauford’s self-portraits, the astute observer will note that there is often asymmetry in Beauford’s eyes. This irregularity differs from portrait to portrait, and is not a reflection of any physical disfigurement in Beauford’s face. Perhaps this is Beauford's way, consciously or subconsciously, of depicting the two types of vision described above.
In his 1944 self-portrait, Beauford has represented his right eye as being entirely white. His left eye is larger than the right, rhomboid in shape, and one gets the impression that it has no lid. The pupil is light-colored and the surrounding iris black. In his 1950 self-portrait, it is the right eye that is smaller, with a black iris and no apparent pupil, while the left eye is a grayish tan with a clear tan iris and a dark pupil.
In his 1964 self-portrait, Beauford had retained the proportions that he used in his 1950 self-portrait. His face is gaunt, making the white of the almond-shaped left eye seem sunken in and the white of that eye more gleaming.
Self-portrait
Oil on canvas (1964)
Collection of the Reinfrank Family
In his 1972 portrait, he returns to marked asymmetry, this time accentuated by the fullness of his face. The left eye is larger and higher than the right, the iris is thin and the pupil large and light-colored—even mottled.
Self-portrait
Gouache on paper (1972)
Collection of David Leeming
Catherine St. John, a professor at Berkeley College in New Jersey and author of the essay “A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glen Ligon,” describes the white eye in the 1944 self-portrait as “vacant,” and refers to the “monocular stare” that philosopher Jacques Derrida evoked in his Memoirs of the Blind: The Self-Portrait and Other Ruins – “a single eye open and fixed firmly on its own image, seeing nothing, nothing but an eye which prevents it from seeing anything at all.” St. John poses the rhetorical question “Are Delaney’s self-portraits attempts to find his own identity in his own image?”
In my opinion, Beauford’s numerous self-portraits are some of his most extraordinary oeuvre. (The ones presented here are but a few of them.) I encourage you to search for images of these works on line or to view them in person at museums and judge for yourself.
Beauford and the Civil Rights Movement
This month, we commemorate the forty-second anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a well-respected figure in France as leader of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Two years ago, to mark the fortieth anniversary of his death, the city of Paris named a park in his honor.
Numerous African Americans lived in Paris during the Civil Rights Movement, including Beauford. His dear friend James Baldwin would return to the U.S. to take up the cause firsthand. Beauford encouraged Baldwin in this endeavor, and wrote admiringly of an essay called "Letter from a Region of My Mind" that would later appear in Baldwin's book The Fire Next Time. On the Minneapolis Museum of Art Web site that features the 2004-2005 exposition of Beauford's works called Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, part of the description of Beauford's portrait of Baldwin entitled The Sage Black (1967) reads as follows:
Baldwin visited Beauford in December 1962 and May 1963, and the two discussed the latest news regarding the movement in the States. These discussions inspired Beauford to create his "Rosa Parks Series" - a number of paintings portraying a black woman sitting on a bench, either alone or with a white woman. The Leeming biography of Beauford indicates that the first sketch depicted Mrs. Parks sitting in a bus next to the words "I will not be moved."
Beauford wrote to Henry Miller about the movement in 1963, stating that his spirit was with the struggle and that "my prayers are with all the Blacks and Whites that they find the power and patience...to join in the nobler human dignity of sharing and existing together in peace." He would address Miller on the same topic in 1967, saying that he was interested in painting "portraits of Negroes in my fashion." He created several portraits of African Americans during the mid-60s, including Richard Long and Marian Anderson, as a result of this inspiration.
David Leeming states in his biography that Dr. King's assassination in 1968 had a "disastrous effect" on Beauford's mental health, and the student riots that subsequently occurred in Paris further upset his equilibrium. His friend Bernard Hassell eventually took him to the south of France for a six-week period, during which Beauford's psychological state improved greatly. The tumultuous year ended well, with Beauford being awarded a grant by the National Council for the Arts.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photo from the collection of the Library of Congress
Numerous African Americans lived in Paris during the Civil Rights Movement, including Beauford. His dear friend James Baldwin would return to the U.S. to take up the cause firsthand. Beauford encouraged Baldwin in this endeavor, and wrote admiringly of an essay called "Letter from a Region of My Mind" that would later appear in Baldwin's book The Fire Next Time. On the Minneapolis Museum of Art Web site that features the 2004-2005 exposition of Beauford's works called Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, part of the description of Beauford's portrait of Baldwin entitled The Sage Black (1967) reads as follows:
Filled with all the colors of a flame, this incendiary, combustible background peers through Baldwin's form, conveying the passion and fire that was such an integral part of the author who penned, just a few years before, the foreboding essay titled The Fire Next Time.
Baldwin visited Beauford in December 1962 and May 1963, and the two discussed the latest news regarding the movement in the States. These discussions inspired Beauford to create his "Rosa Parks Series" - a number of paintings portraying a black woman sitting on a bench, either alone or with a white woman. The Leeming biography of Beauford indicates that the first sketch depicted Mrs. Parks sitting in a bus next to the words "I will not be moved."
Beauford Delaney (1901-1979)
Rosa Parks, 1967
oil on canvas
31 3/4" x 25 1/2 "
Estate of Beauford Delaney, Courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York, NY
Beauford wrote to Henry Miller about the movement in 1963, stating that his spirit was with the struggle and that "my prayers are with all the Blacks and Whites that they find the power and patience...to join in the nobler human dignity of sharing and existing together in peace." He would address Miller on the same topic in 1967, saying that he was interested in painting "portraits of Negroes in my fashion." He created several portraits of African Americans during the mid-60s, including Richard Long and Marian Anderson, as a result of this inspiration.
David Leeming states in his biography that Dr. King's assassination in 1968 had a "disastrous effect" on Beauford's mental health, and the student riots that subsequently occurred in Paris further upset his equilibrium. His friend Bernard Hassell eventually took him to the south of France for a six-week period, during which Beauford's psychological state improved greatly. The tumultuous year ended well, with Beauford being awarded a grant by the National Council for the Arts.
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